Washington Nationals drop 3 of 4 to New York Mets with 8-6 loss in series finale...

Erick Fedde struggled to throw strikes and walked four batters in just 3 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched in Washington, D.C.’s Nationals Park before he was lifted from what ended up being an 8-6 loss to the New York Mets.

Fedde vs the Mets: In three starts back following a two-month DL stint for a shoulder issue, Erick Fedde put up a 3.60 ERA, eight walks, 22 Ks, and a .154/.267/.269 line against in 15 IP heading into this afternoon’ series finale with the Mets.

“He can be a really good pitcher,” Davey Martinez told reporters before Fedde faced Miami last week in Marlins Park.

“For me it’s all about consistency,” he added. “We’ve talked to him about utilizing his fastball more because he’s got a good one and he’s done that the last few outings.”

Taking on the Mets this afternoon in the nation’s capital, Fedde fell behind early after giving up back-to-back singles by Amed Rosario and Jeff McNeil, who pulled a double steal before Rosario scored from third on a sac fly to left by Jay Bruce, 1-0.

Back-to-back singles (by McNeil and Michael Conforto) put runners on the corners with no one out in the Mets’ third, and a walk by Jay Bruce loaded the bases, but a 5-2-3 double play off Brandon Nimmo’s bat and a groundout by Dominic Smith got the Nationals’ starter out of a jam.

Another jam in the fourth ended Fedde’s outing after 80 pitches, after he gave up a leadoff double and one-out walk that put runners on the corners...

Erick Fedde’s Line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 Ks, 80 P, 47 S, 3/3 GO/FO.

Matz vs the Nats: In five starts against the Nationals this season before facing them again in the series finale in the nation’s capital, Mets’ left-hander Steven Matz was (0-3) with a 5.48 ERA, seven walks, 27 Ks, and a .290/.340/.430 line against in 23 innings pitched, with his last start vs New York’s NL East rivals a seven-inning outing on August 26th in which he gave up just five hits and one earned run in what ended up a 15-1 loss.

Matz held the Nationals off the board through two this afternoon, but a 2-2 changeup up in the zone to Victor Robles went out to left on a line as Robles’s second home run in the big leagues tied things up at 1-1 after the Mets jumped out to an early lead.

It wasn’t tied for long, as Trea Turner walked in the next at bat, stole second, and scored on an RBI double by Bryce Harper, 2-1.

Harper took third on an Anthony Rendon single, and a hit-by-pitch on Mark Reynolds loaded the bases with no one out, before a one-out walk by Spencer Kieboom made it a 3-1 game.

That was all the Nationals got out of a big opportunity, however, and that was all for Matz...

Steven Matz’s Line: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 Ks, 1 HR, 78 P, 50 S 3/0 GO/FO.

Turn, Turn, Turner: Nationals’ shortstop Trea Turner started the series finale with the Mets with an 11-game hit streak going, over which he was 12 for 39 (.308/.386/.487) with four doubles, a home run, four walks, and nine Ks in 44 PAs, and a 22-game on-base streak going, over which he was 27 for 94 (.287/.380/.447) with six doubles, three homers, 13 walks, and 20 Ks in 108 PAs going back to August 29th.

Turner extended both streaks in his first at bat, when he singled to center off Mets’ lefty Steven Matz.

Turner walked the second time up, stole second (No. 42) and scored on an RBI double by Bryce Harper.

Rend-on-base streak Update: Anthony Rendon had a 30-game on-base streak going at the start of play today. Over the course those 30 games, the 28-year-old infielder was 41 for 119 (.345/.432/.597) with 12 doubles, six home runs, 17 walks, and 15 Ks, and he extended it to a 31-game on-base streak with a single in his second at bat of the game in the third inning.

Rendon also did this:

BULLPEN ACTION: Wander Suero inherited a first-and-third, one-out jam in the Mets’ half of the fourth, and turned it into a bases-loaded, one-out jam with a walk to the first batter he faced, Amed Rosario. Jeff McNeil stepped in next and lined an RBI single to center to make it a 3-2 game in the Nationals’ favor.

Michael Conforto then lined a high, 1-2 fastball to center for a base-clearing triple that got past a diving Michael A. Taylor to make it a 5-3 game in the Mets’ favor.

Drew Gagnon tossed a scoreless, 15-pitch frame in the bottom of the fourth.

Suero came back out for the top of the fifth and gave up a leadoff double to right off of Dominic Smith’s bat, and one out later, an RBI double by Kevin Plawecki that made it 6-3.

Plawecki took third on a fly to right in the next at bat and scored on an infield “single” when Trea Turner booted a one-hopper to his backhand, 7-3.

Sammy Solis replaced Suero with runners on the corners and two out and got Conforto swinging to end the top of the inning.

Gagnon retired the Nationals in order in a quick bottom of the fifth.

Jay Bruce doubled off Solis to start the Mets’ sixth, and Brandon Nimmo and Todd Frazier walked one out apart as NY loaded the bases again before a grounder to third on which Anthony Rendon made a spectacular diving play, brought in New York’s eighth run, 8-3.

Paul Sewald and Daniel Zamora combined for a scoreless bottom of the sixth, with Zamora coming on to get the last out after the Nationals loaded the bases.

Jimmy Cordero gave up a one-out walk but got an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP to end the top of the seventh.

Drew Smith worked around a single by Rendon for a scoreless bottom of the seventh.

Jefry Rodriguez worked a scoreless top of the eighth.

Smith came back out for another inning of work in the bottom of the eighth inning and gave up back-to-back-to-back hits, singles by Wilmer Difo and Michael A. Taylor, and a two-run triple to center by Victor Robles, 8-5.

Robles scored on an RBI single by Trea Turner, 8-6. That was it for Smith.

Jerry Blevins retired Bryce Harper for the first out of the frame, and Anthony Swarzak came on to face Anthony Rendon and walked him. Mark Reynolds K’d looking for out No. 2. Juan Soto got a pinch hit appearance... and popped out to end the threat. Still 8-6 Mets.

Koda Glover gave up back-to-back singles to start the ninth and got one out before he was replaced on the mound by Tim Collins, who got two outs without a run scoring.

Swarzak came back out for the bottom of the ninth and hit pinch hitter Adam Eaton. Wilmer Difo stepped in as the potential tying run, and lined out to center. Ryan Zimmerman got his own pinch hit opportunity and... K’d swinging. Victor Robles? Lined out to left...

Four hours and 15 minutes later...

Ballgame.

Final Score: 8-6 Mets

Nationals now 78-78